The present disclosure relates generally to a system and arrangement for a fuel nozzle of a turbine engine and, more specifically, to improved fuel injection, fuel air mixing, and combustion in the turbine engine.
Gas turbine engines combust a fuel air mixture to produce hot gases, which in turn drive a turbine to rotate a shaft coupled to one or more loads. As appreciated, the fuel air mixture significantly affects engine performance, fuel consumption, and emissions. In particular, inadequate atomization or vaporization of liquid fuel, non-uniform mixing of liquid or gas fuel, or both, may cause a decrease in power output, an increase in specific fuel consumption, and an increase in emissions. For example, the emissions may include nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), carbon monoxide, and particulate matter (PM). As fuel prices increase and emissions laws become stricter, optimal fuel injection and mixing becomes increasingly important to gas turbine engines. In addition, liquid fuels can cause coking on various surfaces, e.g., near fuel injection. As a result, the coking may reduce performance, and may require cleaning after an undesirable amount of buildup on the surfaces.